Motorcar fender with movable section



Jan. 15, 1952 R UPPARD ET AL 2,582,839

MOTOR CAR FENDER WITH MOVABLE SECTION Filed Aug. 10,1950 4 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TORS Thomas F. L/ppardl John E Bendure 5 0 A z forneus- Jan. 15, 1952 T. R. LIPPARD ETAL MOTOR CAR FENDER WITH MOVABLE SECTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 10, 1950 INVENTORS I Thomas E Lippord 3 y John E Beno'ure M KIM,

Jan. .15, 1952 2,582,839

T. R. LIPPARD ET AL MOTOR CAR FENDER WITH MOVABLE SECTION Filed Aug. 10, 1950 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS Thomas L/ppord 61 John E. Benoure Jan. 15, 1952 T. R. LIPPARD ET AL MOTOR CAR FENDER WITH MOVABLE SECTION 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 10, 1950 Thomas K INVENTORS Alp o 0rd 3 John E. Benc/ure Patented Jan. 15, 1952 MOTORCAR FENDER WITH MOVABLE SECTION Thomas R. Lippard, Gaylord, and John E. Bendure, Detroit, Mich, assignors to Federal Motor Truck, Detroit, Mich, a corporation oi Michigan Application August 10, 1950, Serial No. 178,704

This invention relates to an improved sectional fender intended for use with automobile fenders, particularly those used on trucks. Many of the trucks have such high front fenders that it is difficult to work on the engine and any mechanism under the hood when the hood is lifted. It has been proposed to raise the fender completely or raise the front section of the fender, but so far as we are advised, no one has attempted to hinge and raise an intermediate section of the fender so placed that it will not interfere with the wiring or the lamps or the operation of the door of the car and that will give complete access to the engine and related parts when the hood has been raised after the raising of the fender section and the splash pan removed.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of the front part of an automobile body equipped with our improved fender.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 1 but with the fender section raised and the hood raised to expose the engine.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective showing the fender section open and the dovetail to guide and .hold the hinged fender section immovable to prevent rattling, and showing also the strap type toggle lock.

Fig. 6 is a perspective of the front part of the fender showing the intermediate section fragmentarily and in open position.

i represents a part of the body frame for the hood or radiator. 2 is a cross bar which can be secured to the upright member of the body frame I to support the fender. 3 is a strut between the frame member 2 and the upright frame memher I. lhe angle iron brace 4 extends between the frame member 2 and the strut 3. To this stressed turn buttons 1. The rear end of the splash-pan 6 has a fork'member 8 that fits over the headed stud 9'. The upper rear corner of the splash pan is bolted to the Z bracket Ill.

The fender is in its side elevation roughly a rectangle except for the cut out portion for the wheels or it may be called roughly "trunk shape." The front section II is stationary and carries the usual headlight l2 and any other parking or signal lights that may be desirable. In the front of the fender is the bumper l3. The rear section of the trunk-like fender is designated l4 and can be secured to the cowl along its rear edge and by means of the cross brace or female member 34 of the dovetail. The intermediate 9 Claims. (Cl. 280-153) 3 section is designated [5 and has a trunk-like at 23 to the angle iron bracket l8.

The check counterpoise and hold-open is the plate 24 which is pivoted to angle bracket [8 at 25 and which is projected outwardly by the coiled spring 26. The hinge arm 20 has a stud 21 which rides the periphery 28 of the plate 24 and then drops into the notch 29 to check and hold the fender section in upward position. The pressure of spring 26 through plate 24 on the stud tends to counterbalance the weight of the fender section and makes this section easier to raise. The arms 20 and 2| are bolted to the fender section by the intervening strap 30 between the two arms.

The trunk-like cover of the intermediate section is adapted to seat on or just above the turned-in rim 3| of the rear fender section I4. The cover section has a cross strap 32 which bears the male member or striker 33 of a dovetail. The female member 34 is secured between the inside and outside walls of the rear station- This dovetail has the function of properly guiding the fender section to the correct closing position and at the same time holds the section from rattling.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that the front and rear edges of the intermediate swinging section are provided with welded-on shallow Z straps 37 and 38. These straddle the 'pressed in edge portions 39 and 40 of the front and rear sections.

when 'the" fender section has been raised to and 40, help guide the parts into their correct closing position, as does also the striker 33 of the dovetail. When the cover is completely closed down, pin 4|, riveted by means of strap 42 to the outside of the cover, strikes the notches 43 in the toggle arm lock 44 and throws the locking arm 45 over the pin to complete the locking of the cover or the intermediate swinging part in position.

What I claim is:

1. A fender for use upon automobile bodies and particularly truck bodies, said fender having front and rear stationary sections and a hinged movable intermediate section, a cross bar for securing the front section to the body frame, a second cross bar for securing the rear stationary section to the cowl, one or more concealed hinge arms pivoted to one of the cross bars for hinging the intermediate section to one of the stationary sections and interlocking parts on the free end of the hinging intermediate section and the cross bar other than the bar which supports said hinges, for interlocking the hin'ging section to one of the stationary sections.

2. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which the frame member supports a check counterpoise and a hold-open member,

3. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which the frame member supports a check counterpoise and a hold-open member comprising a plate pivoted on the frame member and forced outwardly against a stud 'on the "side of one of the concealed hinge arms, the said stud riding on the periphery of the plate until it is checked by a notch in the periphery that acts not only as a check but a hold-open.

4. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which the fender sections when assembled together are roughly trunk shaped" with a recess in the bottom to expose the car wheel and in which the intermediate swinging member is pivoted at its front and is roughly "trunk cover shaped and swings down upon the open front or the rear stationary section.

t'ionaiy section has a female member of a dovetail supported by the walls of the section.

6. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which the whole asse'iribled fender is roughly of trunk shape with the intermediate section in the form of a trunk cover hinged at its front edge and having a skirt that has 'fianges -on the front and rear edges for straddling depressed edges of the "front and -rear stationary fender sections for guiding and registering the skirt section as the fender closes, the said cover-like intermediate top section closing and lapping over the open front of the rear section.

'7'. The combination claimed in claim 1 in which the assembled fender sections are roughly trunk shaped and the intermediate section has a top like a trunk cover and a side skirt section, the intermediate section being hinged at its front on concealed hinge arms for swinging down on the open front 01' the rear stationary section, and a toggle lock on the free end of the intermediate section and the rear stationary section for clamping the cover and intermediate fender section to the rear stationary section.

8. A sectional fender for use on motor cars to provide better access to the engine when the needle lifted comprising a front fixed section, a. cross member for supporting the same, a rear fixed section and a swinging intermediate section supported on the cross member of the front fixed section-by means of one or more angling concealed hinge arms and a striker on the free end of the movable section and a latch on the rear fixed section to engage and lock the swinging end of the intermediate section in place when it is moved down to register with the other two sections, and a. dovetail comprising interengaging members on the underside of the movable fender section and on the rear fixed fender section for guiding the movable section into proper registry with the two fixed sections and firmly holding it in place.

9. A sectional fender for use on motor cars to provide better access to the engine when the hood is lifted comprising a front fixed section, a cross member for supporting the same, a rear ii'xed section and a swinging intermediate secticn supported on the cross member of the front fixed section by means of one or more angling concealed hinge arms and a striker on the free end of the movable section and a latch on the rear fixed section to engage and lock the swing- 'ing end of the intermediate section in place when it is moved down to register with the other two sections, a dove-tail comprising interengaging members on the underside of the movable fender section and on the rear fixed fender section for guiding the movable section into proper registry with the two fixed sections and firmly holding it in place, and a spring operated retainer member on the front fixed section arranged to engage 'a projection on the concealed hinge arm for retaining a swinging section in the upright position.

1 THOMAS R. LIPPARD.

JOHN E. BENDURE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date '1;8l1,'11'2 Carton June 23, 1931 Y 21001507 'Stribling May '14, 1935 "2,211,654 Heasl'et Aug. 13, 1940 2,447,397 Craig Aug. 1'7, 1948 2, i4"l,"898 'Co'laner Aug. '24, 1948 

